Center for Supportive Schools, Inc.

About Center for Supportive Schools (CSS)

The Center for Supportive Schools (CSS, formerly Princeton Center for Leadership Training) advances the efforts of schools across the country to develop all students into leaders who help make their schools safer, more supportive, engaging, and inspiring. CSS is driven by the vision that one day, all students will thrive in schools that graduate them prepared for the rigors of college and lives filled with meaningful work, active citizenship, and personal fulfillment. Our work directly addresses disengagement from school, a root cause of students dropping out of school and other high-risk behaviors for students in urban, suburban, rural, economically disadvantaged, or more affluent communities.

Since 1979, CSS has partnered with 350 schools and our work has touched 350,000 students, educators, and parents. CSS partners with schools to help overcome disengagement by engaging all members of the school community in the relationships and meaningful dialogue necessary to effect substantial and sustainable change in all students’ school experiences. We accomplish this through a thoughtful and collaborative planning, teambuilding, and training process with school leadership and other stakeholders; an intensive train-the-trainer strategy; user-friendly, rigorous, and relevant curricula; on-site technical assistance; fidelity monitoring; and program evaluation. CSS offers a wide variety of solutions, such as:

·       Peer Group Connection (PGC): an evidence-based, school-based program that supports and eases students’ successful transitions into middle and high school by tapping into the power of older students to create a nurturing environment for incoming students.

·       Teen Prevention Education Program (Teen PEP): an evidence-based, school-based program that utilizes peer-to-peer education to increase responsible decision-making among students around issues of sexual health.

·       Student & Family Advisory (SFA): a research-based school-wide practice that provides all students in middle and high school with the support they need to feel attached to school, to succeed in school, and to graduate ready for the rigors of college and high quality careers.

·       Achievement Mentoring (AM): a school-based prevention and intervention program, developed by Dr. Brenna Bry, that pairs adult school staff with students in one-to-one mentoring relationships proven to reduce problem behaviors, improve academics, and reduce school dropout among at-risk students.

·       Campaign Connect/Community Schools: a comprehensive, data-driven, and relationship-based approach to engaging the school community in coordinated initiatives designed to improve student outcomes.

·       Customized solutions: CSS also creates customized solutions in response to specific needs of schools. We have designed custom solutions for over 150 public and private schools throughout the United States.

CSS is a fast-paced, collegial, and team-oriented environment where each staff member plays a critical role in changing life trajectories for students and transforming school cultures. For more information about CSS, visit: www.supportiveschools.org.